David Richert: Fast Track to Success
Racecar driver David Richert [BComm(Hons)/06] is speeding to the top levels of professional motorsport, thanks in part to his Asper School of Business degree.
In March, Richert signed a contract to drive for Inter Europol Competition, a Polish-backed race team operating out of Germany. This season’s schedule will see him compete at prestigious racing circuits throughout Europe against some of the best young drivers in the world.
Off the track, Richert faces another kind of challenge: to raise the big bucks he needs to compete in world-class racing championships like Formula 1 and Indy Car. “In auto racing, you could be one of the fastest drivers in the world, but if you don’t have the financial ability to pay the hundreds of thousands – or even millions – of dollars necessary to move into higher levels, you go absolutely nowhere,” he says.
And so, back home in Winnipeg, he’s developed a creative business plan he hopes will take him straight to the finish line. He’s selling shares in his racing career – and prominent business leaders such as Hartley Richardson, Michael Silver, Don Streuber and Paul Thiessen have already signed on as investors.
“I like to invest in good people and I am impressed with the plan David has put together. It’s a unique business concept, so I am excited to be an investor and help to give David the opportunity of making this venture a success,” says Hartley Richardson [BComm(Hons)/77], President and CEO of James Richardson & Sons, Limited.
Richert has already raised over half of the $500,000 in capital he needs, which he’ll combine with corporate partnership dollars to accelerate his career to the highest
levels of racing.
Richert began building the business side of Richert Racing after graduating from the Asper School. From day one, his business degree has given him the street cred he needs to connect with potential sponsors and partners: in fact, he describes it as the “little ‘in’ that I need and then I can talk to them and they can get to know who I am and what I can do.”
And what he can do is go very far, very fast, while still keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground of a solid business strategy. “It’s a humbling experience,” he says, “to have so many successful business leaders give you a chance to succeed.”